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IMPROVED LEAK SIGNAL FOB. VESSELS.

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TO ALL WHOM IT MAY CONCERN:

. Be it known that I, NQYES D. LAMB, of Norwich, in the county of NewLondon, and State of Connecticut,

have invented certain new and useful improvements in Leak Signals or Alarms for Vessels; and 'I do hereby.

declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, referencobeing had to the accompanying drawing, making a part of this specification, and which represents the m'echanism connccted to a float, the rising of which by the inflow of water into the hold, trips an escapement and rings'an alarm.

I am aware that many devices have been essaycd for indicating the depth of water in the hold of a vessel, and for sounding an alarm when the water rises beyond a givenpoint; but thus far theyhave so lacked practical utility as to prevent them from being generally used. 'At night, or'without a light, an indicator is useless. And where an alarm is to be sounded by the float directly, and without the intervention of other mechanical power, the movement is too slow and uncertain to rely upon. It is important, too, in instruments of this nature, that are subjected to the corrosive action of salt air, that there should be as few moving pieces or parts as possible, to avoid imperfect or unreliable action. And though a train of gear-wheels has been set in motion by a float that trips an escapement and allows a spring to expand and drive the gears and sound an alarm, it has been done'under sucha complication of detached parts as to render it uncertain in action, after exposure to the salt air, and expensive in construction.

My invention consists in a certain arrangement of parts in a leak signal or indicator, by'which I very much simplify and cheapen the construction, while I render it of more certain action, by diminishing the number of moving parts, and, consequently, the liability of the apparatus to become deranged and unreliable in its action, by the failure of any one piece or part in'pcrforming its function.

To enable others skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe the same, with reference to the drawings.

On a suitable drum or shaft, furnished with a ratchet, a, and pawl, b, is wound, by a key, a spring, o and '1 on this drum'or shaft there is a cogged gear, d, that works in apinion,on a shaft, 0, which-latter shaft (0) has also upon it an escape ratchet-wheel, ,7, which is held by a weighted escapement, g, that has a bent arm, 7t, attached to it. An arm or lever, '2', is pivoted to the frame or case of the alarm, the inner end of which holds up the bent arm 7L, and keeps the escapement g in action with the escape-ratchet f. The outer arm or end of the lever 2' has pivoted to it a rod, 3', that extends down to or near to the bottom of the hold or well of a vessel, and has there I connected with it a float, k, which is placed so that an alarm will be sounded the moment that float rises above a designated point. I When the float rises, it carries up the rodj, which in turn raises the outer and lowers the inner end of the pivoted lever i; and the lowering of said inner end lets down the arm h, and trips the escapement 9. There being nothing, then, to hold the gears, the spring a uncoils, and runs the gearing with great rapidity, causing the escape-wheel f, through the lower arm of the escapement g, to rapidlyvibratc the" hammer magainst the bell n, and thus sound an alarm. Whenever the water is' drawn down to or below the designated line or position of the float, the escapement is reversed, and again catches and holds the escape-wheel. The float merely trips the escapement, and the bell is rung or gong sounded by mechanism driven by-"the recoil or reaction of a coiled spring. I

Having this fully described my invention, what I claim, in a leak signal or indicator, where a float is caused to trip an escapement, and set a train ofgears in motion by the recoil of a spring, and sound an alarm, is-

In combination with a lever, z, hinged or pivoted to the frame or case, and to the stem of the float, the

arranging of the bent arm h, escapement g, and bell hammer m, all upon one and the same shaft, by which means I very much che'apen and simplify the construction, and render its action more certain, by dispensing with parts that are liable to become disarranged, all substantially as described and'rcprcsented. N. D. LAMB. Witnesses:

' -A. B. Srouenron,

EDM. F. Bnown. 

